Summer, 2008
Dear New Willamette Student:
This letter is being sent to you as a prospective music major,
music minor, or student who may be interested in studying music
theory in college. Music majors and minors are required
to take music theory; others may wish to take music theory and
use it as an elective in their B.A. curriculum.
All prospective music students will be required to take the
Music Theory Assessment, which will be administered at 4:30 p.m.
on Friday, August 29, 2008 in the Rogers Music Center, Rogers
Rehearsal Hall. The assessment gives us information that
will help to place you in the course appropriate for your skill
and knowledge level. If your knowledge and skills are particularly
advanced, you may be able to test out of a semester or more of
the theory requirement.
We have enclosed a sample assessment to help you prepare. To
qualify for entrance into Music Theory and Aural Skills I, you
should be able to complete the assessment with ease. If
you cannot do so on the first try with this sample, work through
one of the Fundamentals of Music textbooks (recommended below)
and you will substantially improve your skills and your chances. Sight
singing melodies using solfeggio and taking dictation
with the help of a friend can also assist you with your preparation. Finally,
you may wish to consult with your band, orchestra, or choir director,
or your private teacher, for extra coaching. If you do
not place into Music Theory and Aural Skills I, you may take
Intensive Music Theory and Aural Skills I, a more concentrated
set of courses covering the Fundamentals of Music and Music Theory
and Aural Skills I in a single semester.
In addition to the sample assessment, we suggest that you practice
the following skills:
- Identification of clefs
- Identification of scales: major and minor (natural,
harmonic, and melodic)
- Identification of key signatures
- Identification of intervals aurally and visually
- Determining the key at any point in a piece
- Identify chords and chord roots (practice by analyzing hymns)
- Recognize duple, triple, and quadruple meters, aurally and
visually
- Clap back (echo) 2 measures of rhythm
- Sing back (echo) 2 measures of melody
- Identification of major and minor chords, aurally and visually
- Playing the piano, at whatever level is appropriate for you
If you have any questions, please feel free to email (jpeel@willamette)
or call me at (503) 375-5379.
Sincerely,
Dr. John Peel, Chair
Department of Music
Recommended textbooks and materials:
*Gary White, Music First! Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.
*Paul O. Harder, Greg A. Steinke, Basic Materials in Music
Theory. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
*MacGamut—a software program compatible with both MAC and
PC platforms; available for purchase at www.macgamut.com.
